Yeah, They’re Gonna Have To Change That Title

With Kenneth Branagh delivering a hammer-sized hit with “Thor” this spring, it appears he’s proved whatever he needed to with the comic franchise, turning down the chance to work on “Thor 2.” He’s spent the last little while attaching himself to a variety of potential projects including an adaptation of Henning Mankell‘s “Italian Shoes” in addition to a film about the 1936 U.S. Olympic crew team. Well, he’s adding one more to his plate, and no, it has nothing to do with Shakespeare.

Variety reports that Branagh is being sought to direct an adaptation of Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer‘s bestselling and lugubriously named “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.” The story is kind of like a WWII version of “The Help” except with white British people, and the narrative is powered by letters written to Juliet, a single, 30-something author who invites her neighbours to write her letters about their experiences during the war. While the book is much more fragmented, the film is said to focus on a love story that takes place between between London and the island of Guernsey.

“The Opposite of Sex” and “Happy Endings” writer/director Don Roos is penning the script, which is certainly an interesting prospect, and hopefully he’ll bring some edge to the cutesy story. The project is set up over at Fox 2000 who picked up the rights earlier this year. No word yet on when this will roll, but let’s hope that title changes.